I'll Never Tell
by ForPony39
Summary: Regina & Mr. Gold at the end, because in the end Evil isn't born, it's made - and often the maker is pain. But there is more than one way to swing happiness in the very end. Fic response to a personal challenge. Warning! Deathfic!


**My friend challenged me to do a tragic one shot between Mr. Gold and Regina, and I do love a challenge. However this oneshot hurt like hell. Damn my friend - she knows who she is. Anyways in this little spin, Regina never sacrificed the ring Daniel gave her for the apple. Also this takes place a few hours after Regina saved Emma and Snow from getting vaporized by that curse her and Mr. Gold cast over the portal to ensure Cora didn't get through. I'd say enjoy but unless your a masochist... well lol, read at your own risk.**

**...**

Mr. Gold followed the bright little firefly like light into the dark of the forest on the outskirts of the town. He knew immediately who'd sent it, it was after all the first trick he'd taught Regina. At first he'd attempted to ignore it, bustling about his shop and cleaning. It had rather insistently buzzed around his head. He tried to put it out with a wave of his hand but when it merely re-lit itself he knew something was going on.

Mr. Gold had collected his coat off his shop counter and finally followed star like light. That brought them to now, him limping after the bright bit of magic until it disappeared behind one particular tree. Mr. Gold gripped his cane more firmly and limped towards the light that was dissipating, its job of leading him to this spot done. When he rounded the corner he was greeted with the sight of Regina, Madame mayor. She was sitting with her back against a tree in one of her professional little short sleeved dress suits, black coat bunched up behind her back and face up turned to look past the leaves and at the stars that twinkled brightly back at her.

He knew she heard him approach, what with the twigs cracking under his feet and his cane thumping into the earth as he made his way over to her - she didn't look at him though, eyes fixed on the sky, her face flinching with pain every so often.

"I'm surprised you called." he said, looking at her curiously. He wasn't entirely sure why she would send a following star to him or be out here at all. After all he'd been digging in the knife about her decision to disarm the killing curse over the portal they'd thought her mother was going to use to return, he figured she'd still be cross with him. Henry had convinced her it would be his mother to come through, she'd done something noble and they were now off celebrating at Granny's - without Regina. Digging the knife in with those situations was just what they did to each other.

"Not as surprised as me, I assure you. Your face is not necessarily the last one I want to see before I shove off the mortal coil," she told him blandly, obviously not up to pretending for anyone that she wasn't miserable in this moment.

"Yet here we are." she said holding out her arm. That's when he finally notice the black veins that had begun crawling up her arm from a small burn mark on her wrist.

"What's happening to you?" he asked, brow furrowing. She spared him a brief glance before looking back to the sky.

"Yes, I may have exaggerated the successfulness of my disarmament of the killing curse we cast over the portal."

Mr. Gold looked carefully at her

"Why lie?"

"I despise pity," she spat coolly. Then, a little more warmly she added "and Henry would be distressed, let him celebrate and be happy with those idiots."

"You sacrificed for them?" Mr. Gold asked, not hiding his surprise.

"Ha," a singular bitter laugh from her "I was unlucky, lets not make a saint from a sinner here."

He'd half expected her voice to reflect some bitterness, but it didn't. It was just that - a voice, a sound with no inflection.

"Have you called me here to save you Dearie?" he asked.

"Don't flatter yourself Mr. Gold, you can't save me - if you could you wouldn't be here" she said with a shrug before turning to look him full in the eye.

"I probably couldn't afford your price," she said. He saw it then, how tired she looked - a glimpse of the girl who'd summoned him that night all those long years ago flickering behind those big brown eyes

"I'm afraid you're right your Majesty," he said after a minute, looking at how those black veins pulsed under her skin and crawled mercilessly up and up, leeching the life from her.

"You're beyond my help."

"And you're wondering why I called," she guessed correctly.

"It is a rather strange choice, me sending you off as it were."

She looked away from him then to look back at the stars, eyes closing as another wave of pain seized her.

"Because you were right. About the curse and that hole it made. Daniel is dead, I'm never going to get the chance to truly mend the relationship with my son and the only person who gets that… is you." she said, sounding so utterly bitter and regretful it actually hurt his ears.

"Daniel died on me and I turned to my rage so the pain wouldn't eat me alive; I turned to anger because it was easier." Her expression twisted, teeth grit as she said the next.

"And then I cast a curse and all I felt was a big empty hole in me where something was suppose to be," she opened her eyes and took in a deep breath, almost smiling.

"Then there was Henry, and I started to remember again." she said into the pocket of her jacket and pulling out a woven golden band, the very last thing she had to reminder her of Daniel. "Of who I was, what love…" she trailed off staring at the ring, the moon reflecting the glint of unshed tears. Mr. Gold said nothing, looking at a side of Regina he'd never seen in all the time he'd known her.

"Always see so clearly when it's to late," she told him. "All magic comes with a price." she mused more to herself than him.

"A harsh truth," Mr. Gold acknowledged.

"Belle was pulling you out of the dark like Henry was beginning to do for me. It pissed me off - you leaving me alone in my hate." she chuckled, it was a very empty sound.

"Well… doesn't matter now does it?" she said quietly. Regina held the ring out to him. Mr. Gold stared at the golden band she offered for a minute before returning his gaze to her.

"You're not one to give gifts Regina," he remarked lightly.

"A trade Mr. Gold, something precious right?" she said, her body shaking as a stronger wave of pain violently racked her body. Carefully he reached out and took the ring from her, looking it over.

"For what?" he asked gently. She was silent again, looking as if she was gathering strength to speak after biting back a gasp, looking to the veins that covered her whole arm now and were working themselves up her shoulder with an alarmingly steady speed.

"…Take it all away." she said.

"What?"

"I want you to burn all the ugly out of my memories so I can remember the bright spots again." Regina elaborated, swallowing hard when her entire frame shuddered, her body starting to shut down.

"I want that before I go."

Mr. Gold hesitated only a brief second before carefully kneeling next to her, laying his cane gently down beside him.

"I can do that," he told her softly. "Ready?"

Regina took a deep breathe and nodded. He placed a hand on her chest, a light shinning into her. At first nothing happened, then the light grew brighter and Regina gasped. For Perhaps the first time ever, Gold saw life in her face. It was like a movie rerun of her life with all the horrid bits of the film cut out forever.

She saw Daniel's face behind her eyes lids, she felt what it had been like when he'd looked her in the eyes and said he loved her, the first person who'd ever said it and meant it. Gone was the ugly blight that was his death, she felt him holding her when the world tried to turn on her, safety, hope, love. Her father teaching her to ride, his laugh and the stability he'd always tried to give her, his encouragement and surety of her goodness. Saving a little girl from a mad horse… she'd forgotten how good that had felt at the time. Henry, his first steps, the way her heart jumped when his bright eyes looked up at her face and Mommy fell from his lips for the first time; playing with him in the park, mothers day cards and little plaster hand prints from school. Her eyes shot open and she craned her neck to look at the stars. For the first time she felt like she could actually see the beauty in the world again instead of hating it so very, very much. Tears ran down Regina's face as the light shone brightly in the dark and for the first time in years laughed, laughed for real. She was gasping for air, tears still hot on her face as the light vanished and Gold pulled his hand back from her. Gold watched her face, amazed by how it was transformed in that moment, looking so young…

He took her trembling hand and pulled it open, placing the ring back in her palm, helping her close her numbing fingers around it and holding them closed. Her entire body was shuddering now as she gasped for short spurts of air. She made a sound he guessed was suppose to be a chuckle.

"Working… for… free now… Rumpel?" she gasped as the black veins of crawled up her neck.

"One time charity, they say its good for the soul," Mr. Gold told her with a barely visible quirk of his mouth in the dark. She guessed he was trying to smile.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd keep that to yourself though dearie."

She laughed again, it was a light sound with a harsh edge, ravaged by pain.

"Don't worry," Regina said, eyes fluttering "I'll never…" she trailed off as her eye lids trembled closed. Regina sighed, all the air going out of her in one quiet rush. Mr. Gold put one hand behind her neck and the other on her shoulder just before she slumped against the tree as she went limp, keeping her upright. Gently he leaned her back to rest against the tree, un-moving and not breathing.

"You never do," He said to her still form, all the appearance of someone sleeping soundly after the best day of their life.

"Goodbye Regina." Gold whispered.

**...**

**And that was me trying my hand at something tragic, how did I do?**


End file.
